Massaging appliance



July 2 1957 w. l.. PACKwooD 2,797,685

` MAssAGING APPLIANCE Filed oct. 2e, 1955 52. 177 *u INVENTOR. t /Lg l/I/a/ef' L. Pda/@Wand 5. BY

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TTORNE K United States Patent() MASSAGING APPLIAN CE Walter L. Packwood, Kansas City, Mo.

Application October 26, 1955, Serial No. 542,841

2 Claims. (Cl. 12S-57) This invention relates to massaging appliances with particular reference to devices of this character which are manually operated, and aims to provide a simple and improved appliance of this type which is designed for eicient and economical production.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to devise an extremely simple form of massaging device in this class which comprises a minimum number of parts adapted to be readily constructed and very economically and easily assembled.

For this purpose I have devised an improved construction comprising a one-piece holder for the rotary or massage ball of the massaging device and having suitable provision for accommodating a set of ball bearing elements in operative position at the inner face of said main massage ball unit of the appliance.

The invention further comprises an improved massage device construction in which the main body or holder portion and also said main massage ball unit are constructed of materials having suiciently resilient properties to permit ready assembly of the parts into operative relation, and lat the same time requiring no other provision for retaining said parts in such assembled and proper operative relation.

The end purpose of the invention accordingly is a practical and eicient construction for such manually operated massaging devices as are properly adapted for hand operation in the massaging treatment of such parts of the body as the chin, feet and back of neck of the individual undergoing self-treatment in the use of the appliance.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating certain practical forms of construction adapted for practical embodiment of the proposed improvements, after which those features and combinations deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure l is a side elevation showing a massaging device embodying the present improvements;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same;

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional views, representing sections taken on the lines 3 3 and 4 4, respectively, of said Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a modified form of construction embodying the invention, and utilizing a removable form of ball-bearing structure; and

Figure 6 is a similar sectional View showing another modified form of interior construction of the device.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing in detail, the improved massaging appliance is illustrated as comprising-as the principal elements-a manual one-piece ball-holding unit, indicated generally by the reference numeral 10, and a massage pressure applying element comprising a ball 12 adapted to be readily and removably assembled Within the holding unit 10-as clearly represented in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing. The massage ice ball 12 is constructed of Very slightly compressible plastic material, and may be either in solid form, or of hollow form as shown, whereas the holding unit 10 is constructed of similar plastic material, but preferably of a somewhat greater degree of llexibility for gripping and manipulating purposes.

This ball-holding unit 10 comprises a at disk-like base portion 14, one face of which is formed with a cylindrical ring extension 16 to provide an open chamber or pocket 18 for receiving both the large massage ball 12 and also a set of suitable bearing or antifriction balls 20 of smaller diameter designed for bracing and supporting engagement with the larger massage ball 12. Preferably the lip or extreme edge of the ring extension 16 is also provided with an interior bead or shoulder formation 16 (see Figures 2 and 3) adapted to promote eicient retaining engagement with the outer surface of the massage ball 12.

In this connection means is provided in the base of the chamber or pocket 18 for maintaining the balls 2t) in separated relation; and such provision may be made as represented in Figures 2, 3, and 4, by forming the inner face of the base portion 14 with converging and intersecting ridges 22, thereby providing suitable interior chambers 24 for separately receiving and retaining the individual balls 20, as shown.

On the other hand, a modified construction for this purpose may be employed, as illustrated in Figure 5, comprising a separate disk member 26 of resilient plastic material adapted to t in the bottom of the chamber or pocket 18 and atwise against the inner face of the base portion 14 thereof, said disk 26 being in turn formed with the integral intersecting ridges 28 for forming the separate interior pockets 30 for the bearing balls 20. This modified construction is especially preferred for use in operations requiring a somewhat greater degree of llexibility in the supporting disk structure, for which purpose the disk 26 is formed with a central disk-shaped boss or ledge 32 on its outer or bottom face, of smaller diameter than the disk 26 and thus serving to allow more or less ilexible play of the outer rim portion of the disk 26 in applying massage pressure through the medium of the balls 12 and 20-as will be readily understood.

A further modied form of ball-bearing structure is illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing, in which the construction is in the main similar to that shown in Figure 5-but the bottom boss or ledge portion 32 of the removable disk 26 is made hollow to form a pocket 36 for seating a -coil compression spring 38 of suitable size and strength, being of a length sucient to project normally some distance below the disk 26 for engagement with the interior face of the bottom of the pocket 1S of the holder 14, as required for exerting an operative compressing action upon said coil spring 38.

The invention thus provides an extremely handy manual device for selfmassaging operations, particularly well adapted for the self-treatment of the neck and chin and the feet of the individual using the device, and the construction of said device being very simple and economical and comprising for the most part suitable grades of plastic material as indicated, and well adapted for the purpose. The parts are readily assembled, by being merely inserted through the opening into the chamber 18 of the holder, and as easily removed therefrom by virtue of the flexible and contractile properties of the cylindrical ring portion of the holder. The bearing balls 20 may also be of plastic or of metallic material, but are preferably ofglass so that the whole appliance may be cleansed at times by immersing in a suitable cleansing solution and Without danger of any blemishing marks being left on the massaging ball.

body undergoing treatment.

While I have illustrated and described practical rand preferred forms of embodiment of the improved'device and specific details of construction suitable therefor, I desire to be understood as reserving the right to such changes or modications as may fairly be deemed to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A massaging device comprising a holder formed with a disk-like base portion and integral cylindrical portion of resilient material forming an open tapered chamber, a massage ball tting removably Within said chamber in outwardly projecting relation thereto, a slightly flexible disk removably tting Within the inner portion of said chamber and having a central reduced boss portion engageable with the bottom of the chamber, and 20 a set of bearing balls supported by the rim portion of said disk in supporting engagement with the inner face of said massage ball.

2. A massaging device comprising a holder forme with a disk-like base portion and integral cylindrical portion of resilient material forming an open tapered charnber, a massage ball fitting removably within said chamber in outwardly projecting relation thereto, a slightly exible disk removably fitting within the inner portion of said chamber and having a reduced boss portion facing the bottom of the chamber and also supporting a set of bearing balls in engagement with the inner face of said massage ball, and a coil compression spring interposed between the bottom of said chamber and the reduced boss portion ofsaid disk.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATE-S PATENTS 1,539,299 Cheney May 26, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS 314,282 Great Britain .lune 27, 1929 

